


Whiplash

by rayofsonnshine



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: M/M, SONNY IS OKAY YOU GUYS, also barba cares about him so much!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 09:52:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13097589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rayofsonnshine/pseuds/rayofsonnshine
Summary: Sonny wakes up in the hospital. Barba comes to visit him even though he pretends like he doesn’t care about him. Cute + banter + first time (i don’t write smut so i hope this is okay!!)a gift for the wonderful threefeettotheleft on tumblr!





	Whiplash

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mnemosyne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnemosyne/gifts).



A beep wakes Sonny from another dreamless sleep. Eyes closed, he can hear rustling from beside his bed. Refusing to open his eyes, he instead screws them tightly shut at the sound of a window being thrust open. Another beep. And another. This doesn’t feel like his bed. And whose room is he in?

“He’s awake,” a voice says, making Sonny open his eyes in surprise. 

“What the hell?” he struggles to sit up, his arms feeling like noodles and his head pounding. He’s hooked up to an IV. He’s in a hospital. What the fuck?

“Sonny, lay back down,” a blurry figure who looks vaguely like Amanda pushes him back into bed. 

Grunting, Sonny resists her efforts and props himself up. "What happened?"

Silence for a minute. Blinking, Sonny looks around as the figures around him come into focus. 

Fin speaks first. "You're fine. Pistol whip, no concussion."

"Oh."

"Do you feel okay?" Liv asks. "Is there anything we can do? You're on temporary leave until you recover, so..."

"I'm fine, thanks."

Her phone rings, and she answers. "Sorry, I'll be back later. Gotta pick Noah up from a play date. Feel better," She sticks her head back into the hospital room for a moment before leaving, offering a reassuring smile. 

Amanda stares after her, scratching the back of her neck. "Are you alright? You're not just saying you're fine 'cause of Liv?"

"No, honestly I'm okay. I mean, my head hurts like a motherfucker, but I'll live."

"Yknow what would help with that headache? Soup. The Jewish deli down the street has the best chicken matzo soup this side of Manhattan. They’re letting you out tonight, so I’ll pick some up for later.”

Sonny gestures for her to leave. "Hurry, so I don't pass out before you get back."

He eyes Fin, who now stands alone in the room, hands in his pockets. 

"You can leave too. Thanks for stopping by."

He waves and leaves, shutting the door behind him. Sonny glances around the empty room.

At least Amanda’s coming back. He has something to look forward to. And soup sounded good. 

 

The door opens and Rafael Barba steps in, looking very uncomfortable. 

"Oh," he stops and glances back towards the door. "You're awake."

"You sound disappointed."

"I'm not."

Sonny props himself up, feeling an amused smile creep onto his face. "You came to visit me. How sweet."

Barba holds his gaze. "Not really. It’s common courtesy."

Carisi grunts in response.

"So I take it you're alright, then?" Barba turns back towards the door. 

"Not really," Sonny responds, taking immense pleasure in seeing Barba groan and turn back to face him. 

"What is it?"

"Well, if you couldn't tell, I was smashed upside the head with a pistol," he gestures towards a series of bandages wrapped around his forehead. "And I almost got a concussion."

"Not sure there's anything I can do."

"Well, since you're here, you wouldn't mind getting me a pillow."

He trots over to a stack of bedclothes, rolling his eyes. "Here."

"Can you put it under my head? I can hardly move."

Barba takes a step closer, leaning over him. "Is this better?" He asks, his voice softer.

"Yeah. It's good. Thanks," Sonny clears his throat and rests his head back down on the pillows. 

"Is that all?"

"Hm..." Carisi trails off, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm thirsty, actually. Could you please get me some water?"

"Of course, your majesty," Barba bows exaggeratedly and pours him a glass from the pitcher on Sonny's bedside table. 

"I can't drink this," Sonny looks up at him with big blue eyes. "Can't lift my arms yet."

"Is it the drugs they gave you? Or did you really get hurt?"

"Both."

An awkward silence fills the room. Barba, still clutching the glass of water, rocks slightly on the balls of his feet. "Are you--gonna be okay?" he asks finally, his words sounding a bit more desperate than he'd wanted them to. 

Startled by Barba's shift in demeanor, Sonny pauses for a moment. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine."

Another pause. "Good."

Barba stares at Sonny, lost in thought. He stares at his gaunt face and the bandages wrapped tightly around his head, messing up his hair. At the small spot of dried blood left on his forehead. His blood. At that faint smile, taunting him without words. 

"Counselor?"

"What?" Barba snaps back to reality. 

"That water would be real great right about now. Could ya--?"

"Shit, right. Sorry," He holds the glass up to Sonny's lips and tilts it, allowing him to drink. 

"That's good, thanks," Sonny says, letting the lawyer rest the glass on the table. 

"I should get going--" Barba says, feeling that bizarre feeling creep up his chest. The one he'd felt so many times before. Around him.

Carisi. 

As if on cue, Sonny grunts in pain, sinking back into the bed. His smile fades from his face. 

“Sonny?” Barba’s already at his side, staring down at him with worry. 

“I’m fine—“ the detective mutters, pressing his palm against his bandaged forehead and wincing. “Don’t call the nurse. Please.”

“Are you sure?” Barba says, his hand on Carisi’s shoulder, feeling his own heart pounding in his chest. 

“Yeah, it’s nothing, I promise...” Sonny trails off, noticing Rafael’s hand gripping his shoulder tightly. “A better question would be if you’re okay.”

“What?” Barba blinks, stepping back abruptly, pulling his hand away. 

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you called me Sonny,” his cocky smile returns, his whole face lighting up. “Does that mean we’re, like, married now?”

Hand resting on his hip, Barba stares down at him with mild contempt. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“I appreciate your concern though. I mean that in the least sarcastic way possible,” he pauses. “Thanks for checking in on me. I really appreciate that.”

“I know you’d do the same for me.”

Barba catches Carisi’s eye as he lies there, vulnerable, bandaged, bloody. He feels that pang in his chest, the one that makes him want to rip his own heart out. 

His smile fading again, Sonny gestures to the door. “You should really go. I don’t want to keep you too long.”

“I don’t have anywhere else to be,” Barba says, neglecting to mention he’d had Carmen cancel all his appointments for the rest of the day. For Sonny. “If you’d like, I could—“

“I was thinking I could get some rest.” 

“If that’s what you want.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Sonny nods.

Barba opens the door, stepping out into the hospital corridor. He finds himself taking a step back inside, spinning around to face Sonny. “Please feel better.”

“Wait—“ Sonny sits up again, holding his hand out. “Rafael.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t go yet.”

Barba’s already back inside. He sits down on a chair next to Sonny’s bed. 

“Carisi. I care about you a lot. It sounds awful and insincere coming from me, I get that. I just wanted—I wanted you to know that.”

“I know. I—I care about you too.”

“I know,” Barba echoes. 

They stare at each other for a minute. Rafael suddenly becomes very conscious of the number of machines Sonny appears to be hooked up to. And that wretched beeping. 

Sonny sits up in his bed, turned towards Barba, the corners of his mouth beginning to curve into a small smile. “I was just thinking of something that would make me feel so much better.”

“What?” he asks, feeling like his heart is trying to escape his chest. 

His face splitting into a grin, Sonny Carisi whispers “A kiss.”

Barba’s already leaning in. Their lips connect and everything feels so much better. 

Sonny’s lips taste like dried blood. Slightly disconcerting, but feeling the detective’s hands reach around his back to pull him closer makes him forget. 

Amanda clears her throat from behind them, startling Sonny, who in turn sends Barba careening away from him. 

“I brought soup.”


End file.
